too high for ourselves but as time goes on, we expect that the content to become richer and richer. and i'm really looking forward to that. >> and mr. stewart, you say on your website that you got your seed money through the aiw freedom to write fund. what is that? >> well, it's associated with american independent writers which is a writers organization here in the d.c. area. and the freedom to write fund is a 501c3 that's affiliated with aiw. and we've done very modest fundraising and would need to do more. but enough to get us up and running and it's been a great sponsorship. >> david stewart is the president of the washington independent review of books. washington independent review of books.com is the website. ..

republican senator scott brown of massachusetts recounts

his personal and professional life which includes his tenure in the massachusetts state senate and his election to the u.s. senate on january 19th, 2010, filling the term of the late senator ted kennedy. senator brown spoke of the ronald reagan presidential library in simi valley, california. [applause] >> well, before i get started i just want to say i had an opportunity to go around and try to meet everybody and say hello, and i know you talk about the weather here, no offense. [laughter] snow as high as the flags. i did get a chance to tour this facility and be part of history. it's a wonderful opportunity for not just young people but every person from every walk of life and i am so honored to be here. i want to thank you all for the very warm welcome and john, i

appreciate kind introduction and the chance to visit the ronald reagan presidential library. this is my first time here, and what an honor it is for me to meet a living legend, obviously and nancy reagan herself it's wonderful to be with you, thank you. [applause] it's a tremendous thrill for me to be here and it was great to meet so many of you the book signing i tried to get pictures and learn about you and your families and you said such nice things i just hope the reviewers are just as a charitable. and as you may assume there is a lot of pressure especially when you are out there talking about your life story. i haven't felt so exposed since i appeared in cosmopolitan magazine. [laughter] in 1982.

now it's just -- i guess you could imagine also that you do not see too many massachusetts republicans coming out this way. [applause] so in this year and centennial i'm proud to note the connections between the 40th president and debased state. for starters mrs. reagan and i were talking in the hall and she is a distinguished graduate of refine massachusetts school smith college. i've been there in many times and you're right it is a wonderful school. then there is the portrait of the great man that president ronald reagan gave a place of honor in the cabinet room. it's the former massachusetts governor calvin coolidge and i will wager the magnificent airforce one that i saw or many of you have seen in the area that is just as big as i can tell i have never seen such a large museum space sat down more

than a few times at logan airport because as a candidate, as you know, ronald reagan carried my state. and you also know no other republican has won massachusetts in the last 50 years and did it twice. [applause] when i think of ronald reagan, i think of someone who is larger than life, a pot or figure who is proud to be an american. i did my small part. yes, you can clap about that. it's true. [applause] and dhaka like you, did my job in supporting him and in the working-class neighborhoods where i lived that put me in the majority. this day in american politics we speak of the ronald reagan republicans and democrats, and that's the legacy of a man who respected everyone and spoke to everyone. not a lot of old political

assumptions fell away in this time because his convictions were so clear and his integrity was so obvious people of every background, even many who never considered voting for republicans size that ronald reagan and thought you know what? this is my kind of guy. he understands the country. he wants everyone to have a chance, and he knows that in this world the united states of america is a force for good. the american people are hopeful, a big heart, idealistic, daring, decent and fair. he was all of these things himself and everyone could see that. we can all think of leaders throughout history who had qualities of greatness that came up a little short in the quality of goodness and saw how when we remember this great man, we think of his goodness. he was engaged in the biggest defense of his time, the

kindness and courtesy or never beneath him. it's just the way he carried himself, that confident manner. he was all class coming and in hollywood you can't even fix that. [laughter] sometimes the best tributes come from opponents because they are the ones as you know, are looking for witnesses and was a notable adversary who once said of president reagan the spirit and used his presidency. ronald reagan was one of those rare presidents who lifted our vision and enlarge our conception of this nation and its mission on earth. his time will glow in history and memory. that was pretty high praise coming as it did from add book tv to edward kennedy. and while nobody could ever call him a reagan democrat, he certainly knew the type, and he knew they don't like the ticket

for granted. many of them as you know are a mighty force in my state and definitely across this country. otherwise, i would not be here today as a proud successor for the lead senator kennedy. so, i guess as you know there was a little bit of luck working for me last year, too although when i got into the senate race it didn't look like i was about to catch any breaks as you all know, and after the passing of senator kennedy, most people felt the special election would be decided in the democratic primary, simple as that. and who wanted to be this had sap republican who was going to take the fall in the general election? [laughter] [applause] well i knew what i wanted. i wanted to be the republican nominee and not just to prove i could lose by a little instead of by a lot.

[laughter] i remember talking to political pros and they were sure i couldn't make it but they did see one upside by getting my name out there apparently increasing my state wide profile maybe, just maybe i could position myself for a state treasure or auditor or something like that on the road. and even after managed to get the republican nomination i heard the same thing from commentators. certain defeat awaiting me i must be trying to set myself up for some type of consolation prize leader on. i never bought into that type of thinking. i sensed the opportunity and change and on the other side, i just sensed overconfidence. many of you who may know me will know i'm a competitive guy and i've always loved the game of basketball. i learned early on no self

respecting plater ever leaves the court before taking his best shot. the way i saw it, running for the united states senate was no difference. i was going to give it my best shot and took absolutely nothing for granted. i was going to run hard and i was going to run to win. in our lives we all know at sometime in our lives we are the underdog at one time or another. and i hope my book will help others to get through those trying times because everyone has moments when others are saying something can't be done. however worthy the goal it is just not possible. let me tell you something when your gut tells you otherwise you have to go to work at. my advice is ignore the doubters and get every last thing that's

inside you because sometimes his chest taking a risk and overcoming the fear of failure and i don't know if you agree with me that that is how i always felt. [applause] >> you never know. you never know when you might beat the odds and go all the way. against all odds it seemed like a fitting title for a story of my unlikely when it last year and frankly for the longer tail it's my life. and as you will gather it's not been cleaned up or made to look any more gentle or tidy than it really was. it was suggested that i couldn't be a little bit more vague and move a little faster over the rough spots towards the happy ending of being a united states

senator. but my attitude was there was enough self-serving books by politicians, and quite frankly i didn't want my name on them. i didn't want my name on them. so i left some stuff i am quite frankly not especially proud of. in a few moments in my life that i would rather have forgotten i just figured if i was going to tell my story at all i ought to just trust you, the readers and just tell it straight. and at some of the earlier experiences i recount in the booklet me just say that no one will accuse me of idealizing my youth. [laughter] it's a life story. you know, you have to tell about your family, and my family was -- when i was a kid it wasn't anyone's idea of a model household. my mom and dad between them had eight marriages. eight marriages. soak is happily divorced and

that is happily married. [laughter] and as i grew up in various towns outside boston dad was always in and out of my life and unfortunately was mostly out. we moved 17 times by the time i was 18. and was always either in a cheap apartment or someone else's house to read and my mom raised my sister and me alone. she did waitressing work, office works and yes we for even on public assistance. my mom had it pretty hard. sometimes adding to her own trouble. and having a kid like me around who looked and acted a lot like his absent father while getting harder to handle every year it didn't exactly write in her out the keefer. this that dads who came and went in our lives included some pretty sorry characters. two of them had a very violent streak that brought a lot of grief and fear into our lives. just to give you an idea of how miserable we work when the house

we share can up for sale a few years ago i dropped by, looked at it and brought back a lot of memories and as i was leaving in driving away i said i wish i had some money aside by the police and burned it down. i know, it would have been trouble. really was that unpleasant sometimes and there was no getting around the plane telling of it in my book. but let me tell you before you take out your receipts to see if we can return the copies on your way out of here you should know things get better the last chapters. yes, they do. it's a hopeful book and i'm glad to say my mom and dad are in my life and play a pivotal role in it and they know and love their grandchildren. and we are all content to focus on what we have today instead of what could have been or should have been in the years passed. and besides, when it comes to family, have got absolutely,

absolutely no complaints. my look turned in the late-1980s when i married my wife gail and our girls are grown now and being the dad in a happy family has been the greatest thing in the world that has happened to me. i'm not going to cry. [laughter] it's a world away from what we call the family when i was growing up. and when you see the opposite, you can never, ever take a loving peaceful home for granted, ever. most of us when we think that on our own personal journey, and i know i'm not the only one that has had tough times. we can remember the toughest times, the clearest of all, i know everyone in this audience has those tough times and you think back and say wow, and that is what was and is with me writing this book. it wasn't hard to pull up the details of some of the adversity that came my way.

26-year-old young boy was taking the best punches of a drunken stepdad and a kid can't even find a safe haven and a bible camp, i would like, it leaves a mark. for me when there were times in my boyhood when i felt like i couldn't trust anyone, couldn't trust anyone, i wasn't actually even that trustworthy myself and fill in with older kids whose idea of an afternoon outing was going to the mall to do some shoplifting and that is how i felt myself at age 13 in a courtroom facing an even bigger judge and feeling like the little feith that i actually was the judge samuels didn't know why even ripped off the suit that i was wearing that day. [laughter] but the judge did know that there was a young kid who could

still go one way or the other. he gave me the talking to that i needed and a big break that started to clean me in a better direction. there were other great people in my life, teachers come basketball coaches and parents and friends who showed up in my life just in time. from then, i learned to take responsibility for the first time in my life to channel my energy in a structured way and to give discipline and what talent i actually had. and for so long, i remember it like it was yesterday for so long i felt like a loser kid missing out on everything good. and they showed me how much i really had going. and in part because of them and also because of my grandparents. things never completely came unraveled. and i east cape to beat the odds -- he escaped to beat the odds.

but the just take a little drink here. i hope you like basketball. how many people here like basketball? [applause] i like the celtics a little better than the clippers and the lakers but anyway, that's okay. don't hold that against me, all right? i hope you like basketball because there's a lot of it in the book. i love to lose myself and the intensity of the game i played. on the court of the chaos and letdowns of my daily life were completely out of my mind. there were clear rules and boundaries i actually needed. i knew my abilities and how to use them when i played. i once told my coach as a matter of fact when i was younger, probably eighth or ninth grade that i wanted to wear kneepads because that was the cool thing. he told me scott, listen, serious players aren't the guys with kneepads but with the scrapes and bruises because they always buy it for the ball and brush off the pain. those are the ones you've got to

watch out for. given my whole life i knew exactly what it meant to brush off the pain. so on the basketball court wasn't the fastest kid. but being tough and hard worker counted for an awful lot. it elite basketball fans might remember the wisdom of the great legendary coach john wooden. he said never let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. it was relevant then and it's relevant today, and that type of thinking helped me to see passed my own and limitations to supplement my financial aid playing basketball i held jobs that usually involved a mob war paint brush or shuffle or any honest work the would pay the bills and it was goodbye me because it kept me moving closer to something better that i knew was out there. and when reporters in the most recent senate race actually thought i had a chance to win,

they did a little research, a little research on my background and i'm shocked. [laughter] and they didn't linker on my 25 year legal career, my years in the state legislature or my years in the national guard. no. what really got their attention is the work i did in the 80's the cosmopolitan magazine. [laughter] let's just say it seemed like a good idea at a time. [laughter] especially when they sent me tickets for new york city and check for $8,000. there was good. and there i was without a nickel to my name and a mountain fall tuition bills ahead of me. sali accepted. for while there i was, the cosmo by accepting the duties and privileges you might imagine

what, with such title. i was even on the today show back then. jet, even on the today show. bryant gumbel, you remember. and in the green room i remember the contest when it might hinder a political future if i had one in mind. i said no, politics isn't for me. and anyway i figured who's going to care about these pictures? [laughter] go figure. strange as it might sound, the experiences i write about in this book and yes, even my modeling days, they add up to the life i wouldn't trade it for anything. it's often like that, as you know. you all know that. you know exactly what i'm talking about. i'm just like you and those thoughts. we look back and see how even the rough times that we've had, all those rough experiences have actually shaped us for the good. they've made us who we are. and i try to get that across in my book.

it's a story that millions and millions of other people could tell what different scenes and scenarios and details about being poor and feeling trapped and wishing you could just get up and run away from it all. some kids what they are in boston or south central l.a. that's all life seems to offer some times. let me tell you something, you know, i know for a fact i am a better man for having been one of those kids with no money in my pocket, no father to protect me, no feelings of pride and achievement outside of basketball and my story and to show to listen to the right people let me tell you something i will take that or even the best book review. [applause]

islamic it's also a book about second chances and the people who gave them to me. the only people we remember better than the ones who mocked us down, and we all have them, are the gracious ones who helped us up and actually gave us a break in our lives and encouraged us and gave the encouragement and the direction we needed when absolutely no one else would. it would be worth the trouble coming and i know better than to think that any good thing in my life was preordained. i know that. and i've come this far only because long ago a few people in my life thought it was actually worth the trouble. and thank goodness for that. he said the man, quote, didn't base his rating on games won or lost, but on the record of the player in later life. what kind of man he had become.

i had a couple of coaches like that his influence as i can still feel today. i still have a relationship mentors in my life today. and i found the sick be the cadiz and work ethic and and forced it on a daily basis. it toughened up my game and they gave me confidence to play with the best and to never, ever let the other team inside my head those are the strengths that will serve you well in any line of work. that will come in handy if you are a republican running for the political office in massachusetts. [laughter] like many kids in my state and of my generation i grew up respecting the name of john f. kennedy. even an hour west of houses we have a picture of john f. k. on the wall. and it had fallen on the seat and held it from the time i was 3-years-old. 51 now. and on top of that honored legacy we are in a state where all of 12% of the registered

voters are republicans. 12%. and any republican who bothers to run for political office isn't just taking on an opponent. you know, and you're taking on the entire year democratic state committee and the whole machines of unions and special interests. most times they can keep a pretty tight hold on things in massachusetts. in my race was different for a whole lot of reasons and in a bad economy with two wars going on voters were in a pretty serious fan of mind. while the machine as treating the whole thing as a formality i ran on the issues and the voters appreciated being treated as if the actually had a choice. the government takeover of health care was a bad idea and i was against. i also said we need to get off the road of big government and dangerous debt and focus again on private enterprise and growing our economy and new shows for our people. [applause]

and dealing with america's terrorist enemies i said that our tax dollars should pay for weapons to stop them, not lawyers to defend them. [applause] the political machine is always to brush off political republican candidates running for office as right wing nuts. well this time it was different. it didn't fly in massachusetts and i remember short time before the final debate remember like it was yesterday on the bitter cold night, not as cold as it is here. [laughter] , tropical, come on. i went outside and it probably was -- it had to have been ten or 20 below zero. it was a cold night, but they were out there holding signs for each other, and i went outside and i shook hands with everybody

including those people supporting my opponent. they were mostly union guys and they would say we are voting for you. [laughter] we are here because we are getting paid to hold these signs. voting for you. [laughter] >> the was the confidence builder for the debate about an hour later which had the usual back-and-forth until one question was put to me by the moderator. was a chance to say what was on everybody's mind. the question was whether i was really, really willing to vote against obamacare even as the senator from massachusetts held ted kennedy's seat. well, i began to answer. look, with all due respect, it's not the kennedy's seat or the democrats see it, it's the people see it and it's still the people's seat. [applause]

so from that point on it was amazing you could feel the shift in the momentum of the race and it wasn't long before a quick visit to boston was added to the president's schedule. [laughter] remember that? and my response was that the president of the united states is always welcome in the commonwealth of massachusetts. i even forgave him for disrespecting my truck. it was too late any way because something bigger than both of us was happening in massachusetts. the ideals of the reagan republicans and democrats were once again uniting us and as i said on election night if it can happen in massachusetts it can happen again all over america. [applause] and it did because as we saw again in this past election in november there are some convictions that need to only be stated plainly. to win the majority. and at a time when the national

debt is more than $14 trillion rising, if you stand for spending discipline, then the people will stand with you. and with eight, nine or 10% of our fellow citizens out of work in a year and half after we are told the recession has ended opponents try to pitch another stimulus bill or go to the barricades to keep obamacare and see what happens. and if our cause is free enterprise, lower taxes and personal responsibility, then trust me, a lot of working people keep carrying the democratic signs that they are going to vote republican. [applause] well, i've been in the senate now for a little over a year now, a year and a couple of

weeks. and to this day, i keep online mantle in my office a picture of ted kennedy. reminds me of only of someone i like and admire, but also of a promise i made to my friends back home which is to work with good people wherever i find them. i've always felt my fellow republicans if you're looking for a full on ideologue i am not the guy but to someone who needs an ally in the cause of limited government individual liberty, and the confidence advance of freedom in this world, i see count me in because that is the cause that earned my loyalty long ago in the days of president ronald reagan and the way of examples to follow there is still no finer example than president reagan. [applause]

>> let me say in closing because i know i hear some grumbling stomachs out there thank you for breeding the weather and coming. [applause] [laughter] we think i'm going to run in my shorts a little later. [laughter] but truly, mrs. reagan, i feel like i'm dreaming. it's so honored to meet you, you and your husband were such role models for all of us as americans. and it's truly been my privilege to join each and every one of you at this beautiful place that bares his name. so thank you, god bless and have a wonderful dinner. thank you. [applause]

specs before. please, sit down. i just want to say hello to mrs. reagan for just a minute so i will be right back. [laughter] -- senator brown has been kind enough to agree to spend about ten to 12 minutes answering some questions we got the questions from you as you came to this evening. >> and i haven't seen them so here we go. >> i think you'll find the first one interesting. >> noeth thanks, come on. [laughter] >> what do you think about what is happening in wisconsin now? >> the question is what is happening in wisconsin? obviously the people of wisconsin are trying to get a handle on the $3.6 billion structural deficit and they elected a new governor to deal

with that problem. they elected the new legislature to back him up. he said the plan to the legislature and i encourage the senators to come back the people's business. [applause] and everything is on the table right now. we are in very deep fiscal trouble not only federal week but each individual state as you all know and everybody needs to get in a room, sit down and hammer things out in a mature, responsible way so the citizens of wisconsin can actually compete not only throughout this country but throughout the world in the global market. [applause] >> in light of the recent shooting of congresswoman gifford, what are your opinions regarding the protection of congressmen and senators during public appearances? >> i feel safe that you're protecting me today. i must say that. [laughter]

first of all, what happened to the congressman is shameful the individual who did it there is absolutely no excuse for it and my thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family and i am so thankful that she is moving along and seems to be getting better. let's not forget the girl that was killed and the others that were actually killed, and the political rhetoric throughout this country while we have the ability to freely and openly debate and criticize you also need to be respectful. president reagan and tip o'neill. remember they would battle and then they would go and half of the year. i don't use the additional security but i am aware. i do i have to do to protect myself and my family and my deepest wish and be my personal

philosophy is i would debate and argue to death in the respectful responsible manner and if i can go out and have a beer with you after that's how i try to do my bargaining and associating. >> what has surprised you the most about washington, d.c.? >> that's easy. [laughter] >> you left but what is surprising is -- listen, i am the luckiest guy in the world. no doubt about it and i am blessed to be the united states senator. there couldn't be anything aside the volume of more proud of. as i travel around the world to afghanistan, pakistan, israel, jordan and around this country you know what the talk about overseas from the prime ministers and presidents and business leaders all the way down pushing a cart full of pomegranate, talk about jobs and since i've been in the united states senate until we got that we spent 12 to 15 days talking

about anything to with jobs. we are in the middle of a recession and we've done nothing to do anything with jobs. are you kidding me? really. here we are in a new year, encouraged we are looking at the debt and deficit and while everyone else is talking about, you know, illegal immigration i'm talking about jobs and talking about this or that, i'm talking about jobs. and finally, it seems to be that they are focusing on jobs and the first issue was the 1099 dealing with the medical device tax and health care bill to fix a lot of the consolidation to do whatever we can to get this economy moving, repatriate the offshore money if we work on the tax code, reduce corporate taxes fiscal much we can do and we are missing such a great opportunity right now to work with the american people on a bipartisan basis to do just that. the people of the united states of america said a very powerful message in november that they are tired of business as usual

so we need to get our fiscal house in order. i'm anxious to get back to do it just that. [applause] >> how did your experience as a child affect the way you raise your own children? >> well, i haven't missed any basketball games or recitals or parent teacher things and i am probably -- when i was doing work wherever i was, what time is the game, and i tried to teach them the things i didn't learn and the things i did learn teach them better and we can all learn and grow from our parents' mistakes and as i grew by some time and not doing that, definitely not doing that. i might try to give it a little bit better. so, and you will read in the book and i hope you all to get the book because it does send a very powerful message that

regardless of your circumstances, and there are many people who have worse circumstances can i do, if you have a few good people around you as mentors you could actually make a difference, tried to be a good dad the best way i can. br a family like many other families are a work in progress. but so far so good dhaka on what. >> how did your parents feel about the book? >> my parents had their own difficulties. the first is that they made mistakes and there's a different time 50 or 40 years ago different time, different time for women and young people and my parents were obviously concerned but everyone knowing their business but they are also very thankful i created this opportunity to actually talk about the things we had dealt with in our family because like many of you there are many

tabler things you don't talk about in your family and when i was dealing with some of the abuse issues in canada and i called home wanting to come home and my mom three or four weeks ago said is the time of to come home from camp when you're being abused? i said yeah i'm so sorry. that enabled us to talk about a few other things and other things, and my dad for weeks ago sat down for breakfast and dealing with parkinson's, battling in his own health right now and he looked me in the eye and so i'm sorry. i wish i had known. i wish i had been there. it was like this great weight lifted off me. he gets it now. and then we were able to build on the relationship and like many of the families we are the work in progress, but i love them, they love me. all of the time that they have

spent battling and doing the things in their lives they've now concentrated on our kids, which has a wonderful fallujah to me and to them. what was it was so traditionally democratic? >> it was on adair first of all. don't ever challenge me. [laughter] the president doesn't want to play me at basketball. okay? [laughter] [applause] >> let me say if i could say in the middle of your answer that's the final question, could you beat the president at basketball? [laughter] >> tell him to bring his wallet. [laughter] but seriously, yeah i could beat him. listen, i've been blessed. i had like i said some good people.

i enjoy playing sports and use a lot of references in the book, and there's so many things we are dealing with right now it's overwhelming and you'll are dealing with them on a more local basis. you know what i'm talking about and i'm going to call off topic in just a minute. we are at the point right now in our country we have to make some very tough and serious decisions about where we go as a country. are we going to be a leader like in the days of president ronald reagan or are we going to be a follower and just kind of going along? i want to be proud to be an american as i am and i want to be prouder. i want people to get our fiscal and financial house in order. i want us to be leaders when it comes to our national security setting the example and letting people know that when they invest their dollars here in the united states of america they're going to be free so we are going to make some tough choices and i'm hopeful we will do it in a

rational responsible manner because listen, 2011, this is the time to do it. there's going to be plenty of time for politics. 2012 you will see the guice commercials and all that stuff and think my god, not again. 2011 we need to get to work. we've got to get to work. you demanded and send a message and need leadership from a tree that the top to bottom. is there any other question? >> thank you very much, i enjoy your dinner. [applause] for more information on senator scott brown, this at his website, scottbrown.com. about five years ago i got a

letter from a teacher that i had an eighth grade in chicago. she had saved one of my papers that i had written about thanksgiving. she really liked this. she mailed it to me and said i kept this all these years because it was one of the best papers i've gotten from a student and i read that paper -- >> it's like the blessings -- >> kind of what it meant to me. >> is it on your refrigerator now? >> it's in a box with all of my memory abelia, but it was remarkable. but anyhow, apparently i did write pretty well and i had an english teacher who said you need to join the high school newspaper, and i had never

fought of writing. i actually liked acting. i was in a lot of police and things like that which i'm very grateful, i love them now because that helped me as a television broadcaster, learning how to use and project your voice and not being afraid. so i joined the newspaper and they gave me a column called division news. they were not home rooms than and my job was to go around to all of the homerooms and interview people about what was going on with the people. it was kind of a gossip column or something. >> who won the science fair and i enjoy so much having access that we could go around to these rooms and talk to the teachers and students and know things

before anybody else knew them and write them up and see my byline? my goodness. you must feel the same way. >> isn't a heady -- bennati heady experience in the. >> so you made the decision this was going to be your life work. >> i loved it. okay, the attention, the access, people coming up to me wanting to tell me information. and i was a serious child who read a lot. like i said, i guess it was pretty nerdy, but it worked. the reading, writing, the access and being able to ask questions and get answers was just wonderful and i said this is what i want to do. but did i know anybody black who was a reporter? did i know any white woman that

was a reporter or any woman? all i knew was lois lane from superman and brenda starr from the comic books. but the idea -- i knew there was a "chicago tribune" and the "chicago sun-times" daily news. all kinds of great newspapers in chicago and the times. and my parents were avid newspaper readers and so seeing the bylines in the newspaper and that people were covering things about murders and five years and politics i just decided that i had to do that. >> and you go and you tell your parents that this is we've decided, you want a career as a journalist. what do they say? [laughter] >> silly girl. silly little girl. you can't be a journalist. women don't do that. and certainly black women don't do that.

you need to go become a teacher so you can take care of yourself. you can always get a teaching job, but we don't want to spend tuition, and it was a struggle for them to get the tuition together for me and it was like you can be a teacher or a nurse or a social worker. that's just about all the things the women in the 60's would aspire to. and no, i don't want to do that. i really want to do this. so there were a lot of fights in my household and a lot of slamming of my door and putting my foot down, and again, as you would first no, no, you can't do this, and i was just determined and finally the salles i was not going to be happy, i was not going to be a good person to live with unless i got this opportunity. so they supported me and i think

god for having a supportive parents who didn't go to college but made sure me and my sister did. >> at some point you hear a second no, the second of many noes when you apply to school, northwestern. >> northwestern university in illinois was right outside chicago and that is where i wanted to go because at the time it was one of the best journalism schools in the country and i had great grades. like i told you, i was in all kinds of activities and i had a b plus, a minus average from high school and i applied at northwestern and little did i know there was a quota system going on. they've acknowledged it now that there was a quota of the number of jews and blacks that they took into the college and so i go to this admissions counselor and he tells me i was wasting my

time, that i needed to go become a nice english teacher that i could get a job but i would never get a job working for "the chicago tribune" so i knew what was going to happen and i got the rejection notice a few weeks later we regret to inform you that -- i remember those first words and -- >> sin envelope. >> no forms to fill out, little tiny letter, and i was like -- and my parents, thank god, didn't say we told you so. but i said honor of playing someplace else. >> and you do just that in the before graduating from where? >> the university of michigan and why do you want the year? >> never mind. >> 1962, and you did well in school. >> i did well in school again

and there were 60 graduates in my class from journalism and everyone had a job at graduation time except me. >> of the little red hen didn't have a job again. >> so i went to work at the chicago public library where i had worked every summer from the time i was 15-years-old. here i am with a degree and i'm going back to my high school job, michael -- my college summer job and i was disappointed, but i just felt something is going to happen, something is going to happen. and i got this call from my dean of the school saying that he lined up an internship for me. it didn't look good for the university to have one black student who didn't have a job so he worked very hard to make that happen and that is how i ended up in tuskegee. >> you can watch this and other programs online at booktv.org.

well, february 16th of this year, the borders bookstore group declared bankruptcy. joining now on book tv to discuss the impact of the bankruptcy is cyril heineman, the news editor of publishers marketplace. how did borders get to the point of declaring bankruptcy? >> well, i think it's been a long time coming. certainly the last three years in particular has quarter after quarter borders has been losing money the also gone through a number of management changes especially of the top. the country think something like four ceos in the past four years. but the story can also lead back to the beginning of the 21st century i suppose, things like the website to amazon in 2001 and they didn't reclaim it until 2008.

the e-book was never the same level as the kindle or the nook. blease in the borders was a few steps behind every other retailer combining all of the additional factors that has been impacting the publishing industry especially the print side in combination with various managerial mismanagement. it really didn't come as a particular surprise border declared chapter 11. >> you mentioned the amazon connection. what exactly did supporters do with amazon and in your view what kind of a mistake was that? >> to reiterate, back in 2001 when borders had its own web site that instead of running their own econ nurse books directly themselves, they passed on to amazon. so recently they were giving up revenue to their competitors in order to easily make certain things easier.

but in doing that it was a double bargain because they didn't essentially alone there on online properties. so by the time they changed direction they had i knew ceo who said this isn't a very good idea, but reclaiming it in 2008, by then, amazon already introduced the kindle, barnes and noble's nook was in works would wouldn't be introduced until 29 and when they developed their own e-book strategy and selling some additional he readers they just never were able to catch up in terms of appropriate market share. >> so what happens to the borders e-book reader? >> well, kobo says that any of the book's plot through borders website are perfectly safe and it's also interesting that kobo's other partner in basra luka which incidentally franchisees the borders name for various bookstores, they've also

declared bankruptcy over there. so i'm hopeful that the assertions are true but i think you will be interesting to see if in fact that ebook people brought through the sites are indeed safe and people can reclaim them and read them and so on and so forth. >> so borders has about 642 big box stores across the country. how many are the closing? >> they are closing 200 the going out of business sales are in fact starting tomorrow. i believe the liquidation sales will be between 20 to 40% off and those are already going to be in the works. i believe that actually already started shutting down the cafe at the super store and will be very apparent looking into those 200 stores that have been dictated closure that he will see that going out of business sale signs and be able to get the books, cds, dvds and other

appropriate merchandise at prices. >> why is it that barnes and noble has been able to maintain its big box strategy, but is it all without the e-book squawks >> i don't believe it is all about eve brooks. it comes down to barnes and noble certainly most recently they all run at the top by people who value books more than anything else with respect to borders especially because it's been such a tremendous turn of management changes. they've brought in people from outside companies who have had experience in the general retail and not have realized their experience did not necessarily translate into what is appropriate for the book business. it's not always been the best fit with respect to what public companies in particular need, demanding higher and higher profits the book business operates on the tight margin. 1% is about average, you were

lucky to get to 3%. so as a result this sort of uncomfortable fact operated by people who were not as experienced without the book business works and probably added to the troubles. >> when you look at the bricks and mortar business of booksellers, what you see in the future given what's happened to borders? >> it's interesting you say that because i'm starting to believe more and more we may be witnessing the natural and the change bookstore business which essentially started in the late 80's and the early 90's when borders expanded when barnes and noble expanded and we started seeing these massive superstores that stood alone. some of them but most of them are entities you can drive up to and park your car and go in and be a part of this greater experience than just browsing for books. and i do wonder if perhaps we

were fooling ourselves that this could last as long as it did and maybe 20 years was the natural life cycle for such a thing so we will see especially a digital signal keeps going we will see a greater ponder and stuff smaller independent stores. and number of them have opened. certainly de see many of the pressures debated and indeed it out over the last decade but the ones that have opened and have a certain business acumen they were trying to engage both within their communities and develop even a small ebook strategy they seem to have the best chance for survival and we will see more of those. so the ecosystem is going to change. it will certainly impact how publishers perhaps signup authors and what advances and they are paying and what books will be most visible. but to say that the shrinking of the bookstore business means the book industry is dead is a

connection i would be deeply uncomfortable making because there are too many signs pointing towards more optimistic waters. >> who are some of borders biggest creditors and what have they said since the filing? >> well, on the unsecured creditors' side the biggest is the pain when group which i believe is owed 41 million. after that most of the major publishers, for example, in and schuster, the 33 million random house was around the mid 30 million range. harper collins, macmillan and so on and so forth. the only publisher that has issued a state of pain when others have stayed with respect to what's happening. and of course they are the larger secure creditors which are bank of america which held a credit agreement and they are owed almost 200 million. i believe the capitol is also owed almost 50 million off of their own agreement as well.

so they have to pay off the banks at the biggest publishers and landlords are trying to get whatever they can as well as additional creditors. the 300 million or so are sold to vendors and they still have to figure out how they are going to get paid. >> can in your view boarders' emerge from bankruptcy court with its remaining stock of stores etc become a profitable company? >> i think it would be wonderful to see demiurge as a small and more profitable company. i also believe many of the factors have enabled them to go into bankruptcy and may not be so kind and for giving. to my mind a little too much concordance with what happened when they went into chapter 11 administration in late 2008 and